Credential of Readiness (CORe)

Credential of Readiness (CORe)

Credential of Readiness (CORe)

Master Business Essentials with Harvard Business School’s Online CORe Program

The online Credential of Readiness (CORe) program will prepare you to contribute to business discussions and decision-making, whether you're looking to advance your career, considering graduate school, or exploring new career paths.

What You'll Learn

Overview

CORe consists of three courses—Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting —and a final exam. Immerse yourself in real challenges faced by seasoned leaders across a variety of industries, develop business intuition through interactive learning exercises, and join a global community of peers. As in the business world, you’ll be evaluated on the quality and timeliness of your work and your contributions to the learning community.

About the Professor

Professor Jan Hammond is the Jesse Philips Professor of Manufacturing and Senior Associate Dean for Culture and Community at Harvard Business School. She currently teaches Supply Chain Management in the MBA program and is program chair for the HBS Executive Education International Women’s Foundation and Women’s Leadership Programs. Her research focuses on speed and flexibility in manufacturing and logistics systems to respond to changing customer demand.

About the Professor

Professor Bharat Anand is the Henry R. Byers Professor of Business Administration for Harvard Business School and Harvard University’s Vice Provost for Advances in Learning. He is an expert in digital and corporate strategy, and has studied how new technologies affect what we watch, read, and hear—which you can learn more about in his book, The Content Trap: A Strategist’s Guide to Digital Change. He is a two-time recipient of Harvard Business School’s “Best Teacher” award.

About the Professor

Professor V.G. Narayanan is the Thomas D. Casserly, Jr. Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and chair of the MBA program’s second-year elective curriculum. He has served as the course head for the first-year required accounting course for MBA students, Financial Reporting and Control, and chairs several executive education programs. His research in management accounting focuses on understanding how firms can use incentives and feedback to improve performance.

Who Will Benefit

College Students andRecent Graduates

Get ready for the real world. Stand out from the crowd and impress during interviews as you prepare for your next opportunity. You can also earn undergraduate academic credit for CORe in select course starts.

Those ConsideringGraduate School

Get ready for your MBA or other graduate program with the online courses that Harvard Business School offers to incoming students to prepare for the MBA classroom.

Mid-Career Professionals

Add value to your organization and take your career to the next level with a deeper understanding of essential business concepts.

Fit CORe into Your Schedule

Schedule your final exam at a time convenient for you within a two-week window after the program concludes. Following the closures of Pearson VUE test centers due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, HBS Online has enabled virtual delivery of the CORe final exam for participants in the following cohorts: November 2019; January 2020; February 2020; March 2020; May 2020. (Subject to the future availability of in-person testing, additional cohorts may also be asked to complete the CORe final exam online.)

CORe offers the flexibility of different lengths of study that run throughout the year. Course content and program requirements are identical regardless of the program length. Choose the option that works best for you:

By enrolling in the CORe program, participants will be ineligible to enroll in Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, or Financial Accounting as individual certificate programs. By enrolling in the Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, or Financial Accounting certificate programs, participants will be ineligible to enroll in the CORe program.

Syllabus

The Credential of Readiness (CORe) is a rigorous online program consisting of three courses—Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting—designed to help you achieve fluency in the language of business. You will develop deep-seated problem solving skills and the confidence to contribute to business discussions and decision making.

Learning requirements: In order to earn the Credential of Readiness, participants must do the following:

Thoughtfully complete all modules by stated deadlines

Satisfactorily participate in courses through reflections and cold calls, for example

Final Exam: The CORe final examination is a three-hour, multiple choice, closed book, computer-based assessment that has been created by HBS faculty and is administered by Pearson VUE. The exam is offered to participants after successful completion of the program during defined time periods—generally two-week windows starting one week after the last module deadline.

Apply conjoint analysis to understand what features customers value most

Understand the power of network effects to drive demand

Identify sources of competitive advantage through differentiation

Financial Accounting

The Accounting Equation

Recording Transactions

Financial Statements

Adjusting Journal Entries

The Statement of Cash Flows

Analyzing Financial Statements

Forecasting and Valuation

Cardullo's Gourmet Shoppe

Apple Inc.

Bikram Yoga Natick

Hipzone

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

PepsiCo

Morgan Stanley

American Red Cross

Metropolis Healthcare

Discover how balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements are developed and how each interact

Appreciate the role of managerial judgment in choosing accounting estimates and methods

Evaluate business performance and potential using financial statements

Understand both US GAAP and IFRS accounting standards

Prepare and evaluate financial forecasts to make strategic decisions

Value a venture, project, or investment opportunity and perform a sensitivity analysis

The HBS Online Advantage

World-class faculty

Edge-of-your-seat online learning

Global peer collaboration and networking

Real-world case-based learning

Developed by Harvard Business School faculty to bring the dynamism of the HBS classroom online, CORe immerses you in a series of multimedia case studies. You will step into the role of a business leader and learn concepts in the context of real business issues—actively challenging you to think on your feet—while sharing your ideas with fellow learners from around the world. You will walk away from CORe with a new perspective on the world and how businesses work.

Stories from Our Learners

CORe was much more than a tripod of rigorous courses. The sense of community that developed from all the various social platforms that were unique to Harvard Business School Online that provided me the platform to interact with other students from all over the world in various industries were instrumental in my application and understanding of the concepts.

Sheneka Balogun,
Higher Education Professional

CORe goes well beyond the basics, but it isn't overwhelming. The classes are structured in a way that each lesson builds on the lessons before to reinforce everything you've learned. CORe also provides you with real world examples that illustrate the concepts. It's one of the most impressively organized programs I've ever been a part of.

Liz Taylor,
Advertising Account Director

Not only was I able to expand my network so that I know someone in every major city around the world, but it also helped me land a job at a company that I absolutely love.

Carlvin Dorvilier,
Client Solutions Manager at LinkedIn

I enjoyed being able to interact with motivated, ambitious students from all over the world. Furthermore, the course content and platform were extremely engaging, combining the best of pedagogy and technology.

Our easy online application is free, and no special documentation is required. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the program. We confirm enrollment eligibility within one week of your application.